Manchester United midfielder Manuel Ugarte has shed light on an unusual method he is using to overcome his injury setback.
Ugarte has been sidelined since June, when he sustained an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury while playing for Uruguay at the World Cup in North America.
He suffered the setback during Uruguay's match with Spain in Guadalajara. Ugarte twisted awkwardly as he tried to make a tackle in the build-up to Spain's winning goal. He was subsequently taken off on a stretcher.
In the immediate aftermath of the incident, Ugarte shared that he had picked up "the most serious injury a footballer can face."
The 25-year-old underwent surgery and has been on the path to recovery since. United had earmarked Ugarte for sale as part of their overhaul of the midfield department, but his ACL injury scuppered those plans.
During the summer window, United secured the signings of Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Carlos Baleba from Chelsea, Aston Villa and Brighton & Hove Albion respectively. Casemiro departed the club as a free agent to join Inter Miami in Major League Soccer (MLS).
Speaking in a video shared by psychologist Gabriel Gutiérrez, Ugarte revealed that he has turned to famous writers such as Dostoevsky and Gabriel García Márquez to keep himself busy while he heals.
Ugarte noted that he began working with Gutiérrez even before he was injured.
The United man remarked, "We have a very good relationship. I started working with him last season and he's been alongside me during my recovery from the cruciate ligament injury."
"He helps me a lot because he makes me look beyond the day-to-day. Sometimes you get angry about things that happen during the day which aren't worth it."
"We always talk a lot about everything, not just sport, but also on a personal level. That helps me become aware of what I've achieved, where I am, and I really enjoy it."
"The hours fly by because we talk about everything. We talk a lot about books."
According to Ugarte, they have discussed Fyodor Dostoevsky's "The Brothers Karamazov" with Gutiérrez, while Gabriel García Márquez's "Love in the Time of Cholera" and "One Hundred Years of Solitude" also feature on their list.
Ugarte added about the mental side, "It's a huge help. Behind an athlete there's a person. How you perform, work and act in sport is directly related to your personal life, so it's something important and I'm very happy to continue working with him."
